Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Summer is here. Kids are out of school, work atire is a bit more casual, and weekends are filled with trips to the beach, backyard barbecues, and family fun. June is coming to a close and we are getting ready to kick off July with patriotic spirit!

John Adams was the first to describe how Independence Day would be celebrated in a letter to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776. He described "pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations" throughout the United States. Sounds a lot like our modern celebrations... except we tend to have a lot more food and too much to drink ;) And around Steins we of course include flowers!

To get into the spirit we've transformed our shop window display (it seems like graduation was there for only a minute) into a patriotic panorama of tried-and-true red, white and blue!

We draped a flag from the ceiling... which was quite the adventure! Not only did we have to look up proper flag hanging etiquette (the field of stars is to face to the left when viewed from the street when hung in a window) but working a ladder into our tight space was also interesting... Most importantly, no one was hurt.

We dressed our mannequin in a pretty white Summer dress and added a nationalistic red, white and blue sash finished at the back with a big bow and flowing streamers. A couple of long red necklaces, a big patriotic corsage, and a pocket full of flags complete our 4th of July ensamble.

Our fashionable country chair was upcycled from an old wooden chair that was on it's way to the dump. We painted it and then distressed it to give it a shabby chic look and recoved the seat with an old tattered flag. And what's more American than a simple brown Teddy bear?

We finished the window with flowers and plants, more Americana, some stars and stripes, and... is that Bo Obama? We had a nice time putting together the display and we are looking forward to celebrating the holiday. Now lets see some fireworks!

Saturday, June 23, 2012

June is
National Rose Month, so to celebrate we wanted to share 30 (one for each day)
of our favorite original rose photos taken by us, Stein Your Florist Co.

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Orange Roses

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Gold Strike Roses

Pink Spray Roses

Sterling Roses

High and Yellow Roses

Pink and White Garden Roses

Freedom Rose

We are
fortunate to be surrounded by roses, the world’s most popular flower, every day.
We import literally thousands of roses each week and tens of thousands during
the peak floral holidays of Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

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Peach Roses

Not only
are they popular, there are over 15,000 varieties of roses cultivated across
the world, including ones named for Barbara Streisand, Whoopi Goldberg, and
Rosie O'Donnell!

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Priceless Roses

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Roses
are valued for their romantic symbolism, but their blooms are also edible and
some have flavors like green apples and strawberries.

Black Magic Roses

Cool Water Roses

﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿Jennifer, Stein’s
self-appointed floral Goddess, has sampled more than a few rose petals… “some
taste dandelion greens, while others taste like you accidentally sprayed
perfume in your mouth. All make [her] throat itchy, even those grown organically.”

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Charlotte Roses

During the Victorian era ladies would serve rose petal sandwiches at their tea
parties and sometimes even use the petals or flower buds to flavor their teas.
Yum!﻿

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Sweet Akito Roses

In
France, rose syrup is extracted from the petals of roses and it is used to make
tasty treats such as rose scones and marshmallows. Our favorite use of rose
syrup is in cocktails, figures ;)

Twinkle Bride Roses

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Rose
hips, the fruit of the rose plant, are a wonderful source of vitamin C. They are
sometimes used to make jam, jelly or marmalade. Rose hip seed oil is used in
various skin and makeup products. And a particular variety of rose hips has
some medicinal uses too, especially in traditional Chinese medicine for stomach
problems. Rose hips are even under investigation for controlling cancer growth.

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White Roses

Rose
perfumes, made from the attar of roses (the oil extracted from the petals), smell
amazing and are one of our favorite scents. Who doesn’t want to smell like
roses?

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Blue Rose Bouquet

Around
the flower shop, aside from the occasional petal tasting, we use our roses for
artistic and ornamental purposes. In our 125 years in the floral industry,
roses have always been our biggest seller. From a single stem for a first date
to dozens upon dozens filling vases in the honeymoon suite, roses are simply
perfect. Ancient symbols of love and beauty, roses lend themselves to an array
of floral design techniques.

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Yellow Spray Roses

A final florist tip:if you receive roses with thorns, leave them;
removing the thorns wounds the stem. The more wounds there are, the more likely
the flower's life will be shortened.

Blush Pink Rose

"Barking" the stem ruins the
vessels that transport water up the stem to refresh the flower and creates an
opening through which bacteria can enter. If you must remove a thorn, it's best
to remove just a small piece of the pointy tip (and trust us, they can be very
pointy). So be careful of those thorns and enjoy the beauty of the rose.

Leonidas "Rootbeer" Roses

Wild One Roses

The world is a rose; smell it and
pass it to your friends. ~Persian Proverb

Friday, June 15, 2012

It’s mid June 2012, the weather is getting warm, the sun shines
late into the evening, gardens are flourishing, and students are graduating. It’s
time for another class of thinkers, doers, dreamers and achievers to take that
next step… From elementary school, junior high, high school and college; students
are moving forward into bigger and better things!

The last couple of days at the flower shops have been a flurry of
activity and we’re not through yet. Local elementary schools order corsages and
boutonnieres for their graduates by the hundreds and proud parents come in in
droves for dramatic presentation bouquets for their smart students. Our
designers have made thousands of fluffy bows in school colors for a last
showing of school spirit!

At our Burlington, NJ location, Steins at Sunset Florist, we have
transformed our front window display into a tribute to the graduating class. Employees
loaned a few key props, like a cap, gown and stole, a diploma, a degree, and a
TON of text books, and we put together the rest. Our concept is, that after all
the years of studying and hard work it’s time to see the wonderful world you
are now ready to be a contributing member of. Maps and globes harken back to all
those geography lessons, now put to good use with a packed bag, ready for sight-seeing.

Our imaginary graduate’s imaginary school colors are burgundy,
blue, and gold (a mix taken from a few of our local schools). We’ve trimmed the
cap in bright blooms for an extra bit of fun and designed a presentation
bouquet to give to our student after the ceremony. Sunny yellow flowers in the
background accent the stole and add a joyful feel with their brilliance.

Globes, maps, binoculars, cameras and a trunk spilling forth with
scarves have our student ready to begin life’s next journey. The stack of weighty
text books is most definitely to be left behind, a glass head donning the
graduate’s cap sits atop them, the mind now filled with their knowledge.

Years of lessons and lectures, friendships and memories culminate
on commencement day. Remember that commencement is a beginning, a start, not an
end. Tom Brokaw said, “You are educated. Your certification is in your degree.
You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of
an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.”

We are captivated by the beauty of flowers every day. This blog is dedicated to the moments when we are completely enthralled with the joy of flowers. Thank you for partaking in these moments with us.

Your authors are the expert designers and staff of Stein Your Florist Co. and Steins at Sunset Florist. Formed in 1887 in Philadelphia, PA, Steins is the city's oldest florist and has been named Philadelphia's Favorite Florist. Our vision is to share our love of flowers with the world, while maintaining socially and ecologically responsible practices.

Flowers make the moment... Let us make a moment for you at Stein Your Florist Co.